Title: Boy Over Board Author: Morris Gleitzman Genre: Adventure Date: 23/3/11 Rating: 4/5 ( 1- don't touch, 5- awesome!)
Plot Summary: Jamal and Bibi live in Afganastan.They are in the middle of a war and things are rough. Girls aren't allowed out side and school is banned. They are out side playing soccer with Jamals friend when Bibi steps on a mine. Jamal saves her. They have to move to avoid their house being blown up and the chase is on. they paint their taxi and drive as far as way as possible but the government is on their trail. Jamal and Bibi have dreams of becoming professional soccer stars and everything turns up when they find out they are going to Australia where everything will be alright. But when they get mislead and are attacked by pirates and are on the wrong boat they aren't so sure. Every thing turns out right in the end, they find their parents and reach, not quite their destination but some where just as good as it.
Personal Response: i really liked this book as it really dragged you in and I found that I could not stop reading it, always wanting to see what was going to happen next. I rated it 4 because the ending was a bit of a let down, very predictable. I would recomend this book to people aged from 10- any age above, it is not so suitable for younger readers. I really like Morris Gleitzmans books and I think this would be one of the best I have read. It not only has adventure in it but it also has danger, thrill, mystery, action, bravery and everything that makes up a good book. Unlike most books I have read with this one I am glad he has not writen a sequel to it, it would wreck the whole book and the one after. Altogether it is a great book which I greatly reccomend.
Plot summary: Ellie, (the main character) has just come out of a war and survived. Both of her parents are dead, killed in the war. She adopted a boy of 11 (gavin) who is deaf and very hard to work with, his parnets were both killed in the war to... Or so thats what he thought. After a series of events, a letter comes in the post to tell Gavin that his little sister has been found, after a year of looking she was located. They go to meet up with her but Gavins evil step dad is there waiting with a knife. Then the chase is on and when it is finally over the truth comes out, a truth that should have come out long before, they get out ok but it has left a mark on both of them.
Personal Response: This might just be the best book I have ever read. It is thrilling, exciting, scary and sad, those things are hard to put in a book all together but with this book it just fits perfectly. From the second I started reading right until the end I was captured and drawn to the book. I couldn't put it down. It definately in my opinion deserves 5 stars, it is suitable for people ranging from 12+.
The way John Marsden writes is so vivid I immediately wanted another one of his books. He also wrote the book, Tomorow When The War Began which has now been made into a movie. I would definately reccomend this book very highly.
Title : Letters from the inside Author: John Marsden Genre: Thriller Date: 12.4.11 Rating: 3/5
Plot summary: When two girls- Tracey and Mandy start up a friendship through letters everything changes and each girl sees a different side of herself she has never seen before. But as letters get exchanged they both find out that nothing is quite as it seems. Secrets get unraveled, stories get told and they find out that life isn't as perfect as it seems and is anyone really what they say they are?
Personal Response: I liked this book quite a lot but I didn't really like how the format was just them writing letters, nothing in between so it was pretty much just their letters back and forth, it got kinda boring. Just because I think that it doesn't mean that everyone will think the same. Some people might rate it 5 as it is a good book but it just doesn't appeal to me. I enjoy John Marsden books but this one is probably not one his best. I would reccomend it to people the ages 10+.
Title: The Secret Countess Author: Eva Ibbotson Genre: Adventure Date: 4.6.11 Rating: 4/5
Plot Summary: A Russian girl called Anna one second is a rich countess and the next a servent to try and bring some wealth back to her family. It is based in 1917-1919 when times in Russia were hard. So she goes to temporarily work for a rich Earl and no one
knows she is a countess so she has to fake a identity. But then things get tough as the Earl finds out her secret and she realises she can't work and keep it up for much longer. Shehad never had to work a day in her life before and she is now finding it really hard. But when she get attached to the Earl everything changes and she realises she can't leave.
Personal Response: I really liked this book and found that I couldn't put it down. It was really interesting and heartwarming and it made me realise just how lucky we all are. I loved the whole book from cover to cover, the only reason I didn't rate it a 5 was because it was a bit confusing at the very start but it all sorted it self out during the book. I was very pleased with the ending and it is only one of the many great books Eva Ibbotson has written. But this one has got to be one of her best :). I like her writing style and the way she captures people into her words is awesome. I would definately reccomend tis book to anyone who wants a good book to read.
Plot Summary: A girl called Mira Levenson has a pretty normal life. But then her Nana gets sick and she knows her nana can't live for much longer but shes always been really close to her nana. Then her nana asks her to help her paint her own coffin and she get a rush of emotions. While all this is going on she has joined a reading group at school involving some very different people. Her nana gives her a special gift just before she dies and then Mira loses it. Her life goes from bad to worse and she can't cope anymore but she realises that there is always hope and something to believe in.
Personal Response: I really liked this book as it shows that there is always hope and nothing is ever so bad that it can't be fixed. Also that you always have to find something to believe in. This book definately deserves at least a 4 out of 5 and it depends what type of book you like on whether you would give it 4 or 5. I enjoyed this book but the only thing was unlike most books this one was quite easy to put down and i found i wasn't that interested in it. But it was good and it had a good story line and i would reccomend it to anyone over 10.
Title: The Morning Gift Author: Eva Ibbotson Genre: Adventure Date: 20.6.11 Rating: 5/5
Plot Summary: This book is about a girl called Ruth who lives in Vienna but has to leave quickly due to war. She is offered a place at a university in London and the plan was for her to travel to London and her parents would follow close behind. But she soon realises she hasn't got a passport and her parents leave without her thinking she was already there. An old family friend happens to drop in and he offers her a way out. But she has to marry him to get her name on his passport and they vow that when they get to London they will never see eachother again. But things turn for the worse and she gets offered a place at the university that he works at as she got kicked out of the other one. She trys her best to stay away from him but it proves to be harder then it seemed.
Personal Response: I really liked this book as it had a good mix of emotions and she wrote it from lots of peoples point of view. I like her writing style and i think that this is the best book that she has writen so far taht i have read, it was really hard to put down. I would reccomend this book to anyone over 10 as it has quite complex language that younger readers might have trouble with
Author: Morris Gleitzman
Genre: Adventure
Date: 23/3/11
Rating: 4/5 ( 1- don't touch, 5- awesome!)
Plot Summary: Jamal and Bibi live in Afganastan.They are in the middle of a war and things are rough. Girls aren't allowed out side and school is banned. They are out side playing soccer with Jamals friend when Bibi steps on a mine. Jamal saves her. They have to move to avoid their house being blown up and the chase is on. they paint their taxi and drive as far as way as possible but the government is on their trail. Jamal and Bibi have dreams of becoming professional soccer stars and everything turns up when they find out they are going to Australia where everything will be alright. But when they get mislead and are attacked by pirates and are on the wrong boat they aren't so sure. Every thing turns out right in the end, they find their parents and reach, not quite their destination but some where just as good as it.
Personal Response: i really liked this book as it really dragged you in and I found that I could not stop reading it, always wanting to see what was going to happen next. I rated it 4 because the ending was a bit of a let down, very predictable. I would recomend this book to people aged from 10- any age above, it is not so suitable for younger readers. I really like Morris Gleitzmans books and I think this would be one of the best I have read. It not only has adventure in it but it also has danger, thrill, mystery, action, bravery and everything that makes up a good book. Unlike most books I have read with this one I am glad he has not writen a sequel to it, it would wreck the whole book and the one after. Altogether it is a great book which I greatly reccomend.
Title: Incurable
Author: John Marsden
Genre: Action
Date: 12.4.11
Rating: 5/5
Plot summary: Ellie, (the main character) has just come out of a war and survived. Both of her parents are dead, killed in the war. She adopted a boy of 11 (gavin) who is deaf and very hard to work with, his parnets were both killed in the war to... Or so thats what he thought. After a series of events, a letter comes in the post to tell Gavin that his little sister has been found, after a year of looking she was located. They go to meet up with her but Gavins evil step dad is there waiting with a knife. Then the chase is on and when it is finally over the truth comes out, a truth that should have come out long before, they get out ok but it has left a mark on both of them.
Personal Response: This might just be the best book I have ever read. It is thrilling, exciting, scary and sad, those things are hard to put in a book all together but with this book it just fits perfectly. From the second I started reading right until the end I was captured and drawn to the book. I couldn't put it down. It definately in my opinion deserves 5 stars, it is suitable for people ranging from 12+.
The way John Marsden writes is so vivid I immediately wanted another one of his books. He also wrote the book, Tomorow When The War Began which has now been made into a movie. I would definately reccomend this book very highly.
Title : Letters from the inside
Author: John Marsden
Genre: Thriller
Date: 12.4.11
Rating: 3/5
Plot summary: When two girls- Tracey and Mandy start up a friendship through letters everything changes and each girl sees a different side of herself she has never seen before. But as letters get exchanged they both find out that nothing is quite as it seems. Secrets get unraveled, stories get told and they find out that life isn't as perfect as it seems and is anyone really what they say they are?
Personal Response: I liked this book quite a lot but I didn't really like how the format was just them writing letters, nothing in between so it was pretty much just their letters back and forth, it got kinda boring. Just because I think that it doesn't mean that everyone will think the same. Some people might rate it 5 as it is a good book but it just doesn't appeal to me. I enjoy John Marsden books but this one is probably not one his best. I would reccomend it to people the ages 10+.
Title: The Secret Countess
Author: Eva Ibbotson
Genre: Adventure
Date: 4.6.11
Rating: 4/5
Plot Summary: A Russian girl called Anna one second is a rich countess and the next a servent to try and bring some wealth back to her family. It is based in 1917-1919 when times in Russia were hard. So she goes to temporarily work for a rich Earl and no one
knows she is a countess so she has to fake a identity. But then things get tough as the Earl finds out her secret and she realises she can't work and keep it up for much longer. Shehad never had to work a day in her life before and she is now finding it really hard. But when she get attached to the Earl everything changes and she realises she can't leave.
Personal Response: I really liked this book and found that I couldn't put it down. It was really interesting and heartwarming and it made me realise just how lucky we all are. I loved the whole book from cover to cover, the only reason I didn't rate it a 5 was because it was a bit confusing at the very start but it all sorted it self out during the book. I was very pleased with the ending and it is only one of the many great books Eva Ibbotson has written. But this one has got to be one of her best :). I like her writing style and the way she captures people into her words is awesome. I would definately reccomend tis book to anyone who wants a good book to read.
Title: Artichoke Hearts
Author: Sita Brahmaehari
Genre: Sad/mystery
Date: 14.6.11
Rating: 4/5
Plot Summary: A girl called Mira Levenson has a pretty normal life. But then her Nana gets sick and she knows her nana can't live for much longer but shes always been really close to her nana. Then her nana asks her to help her paint her own coffin and she get a rush of emotions. While all this is going on she has joined a reading group at school involving some very different people. Her nana gives her a special gift just before she dies and then Mira loses it. Her life goes from bad to worse and she can't cope anymore but she realises that there is always hope and something to believe in.
Personal Response: I really liked this book as it shows that there is always hope and nothing is ever so bad that it can't be fixed. Also that you always have to find something to believe in. This book definately deserves at least a 4 out of 5 and it depends what type of book you like on whether you would give it 4 or 5. I enjoyed this book but the only thing was unlike most books this one was quite easy to put down and i found i wasn't that interested in it. But it was good and it had a good story line and i would reccomend it to anyone over 10.
Title: The Morning Gift
Author: Eva Ibbotson
Genre: Adventure
Date: 20.6.11
Rating: 5/5
Plot Summary: This book is about a girl called Ruth who lives in Vienna but has to leave quickly due to war. She is offered a place at a university in London and the plan was for her to travel to London and her parents would follow close behind. But she soon realises she hasn't got a passport and her parents leave without her thinking she was already there. An old family friend happens to drop in and he offers her a way out. But she has to marry him to get her name on his passport and they vow that when they get to London they will never see eachother again. But things turn for the worse and she gets offered a place at the university that he works at as she got kicked out of the other one. She trys her best to stay away from him but it proves to be harder then it seemed.
Personal Response: I really liked this book as it had a good mix of emotions and she wrote it from lots of peoples point of view. I like her writing style and i think that this is the best book that she has writen so far taht i have read, it was really hard to put down. I would reccomend this book to anyone over 10 as it has quite complex language that younger readers might have trouble with